Dealing with the dolphin and its intellectual abilities is a delicate matter, when you are comparing its neurological facts with the ones of the human brain. The dolphin has always been seen a mystery to mankind, and in some societies even as a mythological character, the all-good protector of the sailors, practicing an unconditioned helpfullnes and caring for the ones in need of it. And the most disturbing of it all: without having any (visible) motives for doing it. Therefore the dolphin has also been a key figure in the new-age movements, that preaches happiness under influence of the higher state of consciousness provided by dolphins.


But to take a look at the facts, the physionomy of the dolphin brain is interesting to compare to the human brain. The dolphin´s is a little larger than the one of the human and has a larger number of neurons, but what seems to make the greatest difference is that the cerebral cortex has folds in a degree that exeeds the human cortex. If our previous assumptions concerning the determination of intelligence are right, this should mean that the dolphin is intellectually superior to us, the dominating species on Earth. Whether this conclusion will hold is at the moment, with our relative small concrete knowledge of meassuring intelligence, uncertain, specifically in the question of whether this also brings along a higher level of consciousness and understanding. But indications have been noticed, such as the highly developed complex communication system, that includes a large register of sounds, and the fact that dolphins actually never goes to sleep: As a mammal breathing from oxygen while living in water, it has specialized in sleeping with one part of the brain at a time, and that way still be able to go to the surface for oxygen.
When regarding this from a strictly human view, which includes the idea that Homo sapiens is the, in any way, highest developed species in the evolution of the planet Earth, these not yet fully substantiated facts seem quite disturbing. But to those who have accepted this idea, there is a new field of intelligence, communication and consciousness to explore and, if possible, adapt.